Reports said that all the passengers were on board the ATR plane (PK-583) when its cargo door became dysfunctional at 8:30am before it left for Karachi.

The plane staff initially tried to close the cargo door but to no avail. Later, all the passengers were off loaded and sent back to the departure lounge. The PIA staff at Sheikh Zayed International Airport Rahim Yar Khan served snacks and juice to the passengers for their ordeal. Later, the PIA management sent a request to Karachi and Lahore for technical assistance. A technical expert arrived from Lahore through PK-672. He repaired the electronic cargo door, enabling the plane to leave for Karachi at 3pm.

PIA spokesman Mashhood told the media that due to a technical issue with cargo door of the aircraft, the PK-583 was delayed till 3pm. “The PIA engineering team arrived from Lahore and carried out the repair work which was completed by 2:30pm,” he said, and adding that the aircraft took off for Karachi after clearance from the technical team.